Once a magnetic and idealistic young figure within his community, Nikolai Ivánov was driven by a belief that he could change the world. Now, he finds himself abruptly cut off from the convictions, emotions, and sense of purpose that once defined both his inner life and his public identity. Confused by what is happening to him, and increasingly unable to control his own behavior, Ivanov’s unraveling begins to reverberate outward, taking a devastating toll on a community already stretched to its limits, where personal needs run high and no one seems capable of meeting anyone else where they are.